Keep Movin’ On, as their 10
th studio album offers a miracle cure for the pandemic blues, rather than a batch of useless snake oil. Appealing to the better angels of our nature in a time of such profound loss and despair, it needs a busload of faith to get by, with apologies to Lou Reed, and it does so with the feel-good medicine of its soul-stirring rock ‘n roll grit and warm R&B sophistication.
Aided by the wonders of technology, Bill Toms & Hard Rain overcame obstacles of distance and isolation during lockdown to assemble and record these heartfelt songs of hope and perseverance, somehow managing to make it all sound full and cohesive in the process. Having the rich, wonderfully arranged brass of The Soulville Horns on hand is a blessing, as they bring vibrancy and color to the bluesy Latin grooves and cascading piano of “Everybody’s Talking” and flood the gnarled, yet uplifting, “Still Got Love” with light, while adding nuanced charm to the soft, yearning, pop-soul incandescence of a comforting “Come to Me.” It’s like a blanket made by Motown in the ‘60s.